Steve Martin has deleted a tweet in which he paid tribute to the late Carrie Fisher following criticism from his followers.

After news of the Star Wars actress’s death broke, Martin wrote on Twitter: “When I was a young man, Carrie Fisher was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. She turned out to be witty and bright as well.”

However, some followers suggested the tweet was “sexist” because it objectified the late actress. The Cut even published an article explaining why Martin’s comments should be viewed as “extremely bad”.

The tweet has since been removed from Martin’s feed, but a screen-grab appears below.

Other followers have now come to Martin’s defence. One wrote: “Wow! REALLY people?!?! @SteveMartinToGo’s tweet was beautiful& touching,NOT sexist! Give it a rest&let him grieve #SteveMartin #CarrieFisher.”